Menswear Dog

Yo Dawg, I heard you like lookin’ good: the hottest new male model is here, and he’s a 3 year old shiba inu. His site is blowing up, and why not? It’s not just cats that rule the Internet. I just wish I’d thought of it first…Menswear Dog.

Here in New York, we’re in the season where we talk about fashion, models, and body size. If I didn’t know it was Fashion Week, I could tell by what comes up on Google Analytics. You see, way back in 2011 I wrote a list of reasons why models are so skinny. It’s still my most popular searched post, though what people are searching for when they find it is revealing. Wild Beauty.

Lots of people are searching for “how” models get so thin. And I can tell you (from what I see) that aside from models being naturally thin (and young), being that thin is a lot of hard work that’s only truly rewarding if designers are going to pay you tens of thousands of dollars for the results. The New York Times came as close as anyone to revealing how much work it takes to get into “fighting weight” for the purpose of selling other peoples’ clothes. (Though Gwyneth Paltrow’s written about her own grueling process of getting camera-ready at Goop.) The New York Times. Goop.

But what about the rest of us in the industry? There are those who make damn sure they fit into sample sizes, but most of us are looking to keep our health – and our sanity – in a crazed world where our job is obsessing over beauty. No one pays us to fit into the clothes – they pay us to show up with a sixty pound suitcase full of of beauty gear and make the models look amazing. So here’s the backstage dirt: we crew members do our best to look after our mental and physical health. An amazing example of this came up on Kay Montano’s blog. Kay, who’s worked all over the world as one of London’s super-top makeup artists, is also gorgeous, and has managed to stay sane through all of the fashion hubbub. And she’s got some great points on how what we consume – mentally as well as physically – makes us healthier or not. Kay.

Ok yeah, health-makes-beauty is fine and dandy, but maybe you want to look good now, as in quick fix! Well here’s a quicker fix than putting yourself through the masochistic dream diet – try working the body you have now! Sally at Already Pretty demystifies the process, getting past that annoying pear/apple/stringbean thing. The biggest secret? Being honest about what you love (yes love) about your body! Already Pretty.

In our dreams, we’re permanently pretty, but a certain amount of that pretty gets washed down the drain at the end of the day. Is this a frustrating waste of time or a new start every day? Autumn at The Beheld compares the temporary nature of beauty work to her previous career as a pastry chef. The Beheld.

But maybe you’ve got a certain modelling-ready look anyway, without all the fuss. Take your skateboard around Washington Square Park and get scouted for all the shows that can’t afford don’t want to use traditional models. Break a leg! The New York Times.

About Me

I'm Meli Pennington - a makeup artist in New York City. Here at Wild Beauty, I explore the interplay of beauty and culture from a creative insider's perspective, looking at vanity practices, art, history, technology, and fascinating people who make beauty happen.